Felix fires Findon to victory over local rivals Goring

BOTH captains hailed the innings of Felix Jordan on Saturday as Findon Cricket Club won at local rivals Goring by four wickets, with four balls to go.

Findon skipper James Iago called Jordan “a class act” and Goring captain Ben Cartwright called his unbeaten 77 “brilliant” as Findon took the bragging rights and inflicted a first defeat of the season on Goring.

Findon won the toss and put Goring into bat and, after the early dismissal of Barnaby Lyons (17), Goring got themselves into a strong position with some big-hitting from South African Shane de Beer.

He smashed 84 in a 114-run stand with Sam Thorns, before he was run out at the non-striker’s end with the score on 138, when Harry Metters dropped a caught and bowled chance from Thorns and the ball rolled on to the stumps, leaving de Beer out of his ground.

Goring then struggled with the bat in their rest of their innings as no other batsman made double figures.

Thorns was sixth man out for 59 with the score on 179 and Goring ended their 53 overs on 204-9.

Spinner Toby Kingsbury finished with 5-49 off 16 overs, while Iago took 2-46 from 12 overs.

Findon appeared to be in complete control of the run chase at 164-2 following a 105-run third-wicket stand between Andrew Crosland (50) and Jordan.

However, Crosland and Bradley Bridson fell without any addition to the score and the dismissals of Graham Manser and Kingsbury left Findon 183-6.

Findon needed 15 from the last two overs and then nine off the final over. Jordan hit a four through the covers off Matt Keen’s first delivery of the final over, before he crashed a six back over the bowler’s head the next ball to seal a four-wicket win.

Jordan smashed nine fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 77, and Iago said: “It was a brilliant effort from the team to beat Goring on Saturday in a great game of cricket.

“They got off to a solid start and when their overseas came in they began to take the game away from us and we were looking down the barrel for a while.

“We made things very hard for ourselves by dropping five catches and it looked as if we were going to be chasing a big score, of 260 or 270. We got some luck and managed to run out their overseas at the non-striker’s end. We then showed some good character and fought back extremely well, restricting them to 204. Toby Kingsbury bowled extremely well and deserved his five wickets, Harry Metters also bowled well without any luck.

“Glen Bridson and John Rogers gave us a platform to go on. Andrew Crosland batted extremely well for his 50 and Felix Jordan demonstrated what a class act he is – a fantastic 77 not out winning us the game.”

Cartwright said: “When Shane was in, we were looking at 250 or 260 and the way he was out was disappointing for him and for the team.

“We then ended up chasing the runs too much and lost too many wickets.

“They batted very well, particularly Felix Jordan and Andrew Crosland. Felix held their innings together with a brilliant knock and all credit to him.

“We bowled and fielded well to drag the game back but we lost the game in the first half when we didn’t get a massive score that would have taken them out of the game.”